The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, for its acronym in English) once again brings a very striking novelty, as it reported having found something that is not supposed to be possible according to the same agency, it is the “forbidden light” in a spiral galaxy .
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescopefound a spiral galaxy named as MCG-01-24-014 to approximately 275 million light years from Earth.
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According to the NASA and the European Space Agencythis galaxy has a fairly energetic nucleus, which is called active galactic (AGN), for this reason, it was classified as a Seyfert type 2 galaxy. The galaxies considered Seyfert contain one of the most common subclasses of AGN.
Furthermore, both agencies explain that these galaxies are usually relatively close and their central AGN does not eclipse its host, while quasars are very distant AGN with impressive luminosities that eclipse their host galaxies.
The POT clarifies that Seyfert galaxies have subcategories, the most common being those considered Type 1 and Type 2, which are distinguishable by their striking spectrum, it is a pattern that occurs when light is divided into its constituent wavelengths .
What is a forbidden light?
Both the NASA as the European Space Agencyexplain that the spectral lines emitted by Seyfert type 2 galaxies are those that are usually related to specific “forbidden” emission lines.
According to Jigang Wang, a quantum researcher at Iowa State University, forbidden light is light emitted by accelerated pairs of electrons, where there are emissions of second harmonic light, that is, light twice the incoming frequency used to accelerate electrons.
Wang told the BBC that such second harmonic terahertz emissions are prohibited in superconductors according to the laws of physics, a situation that contradicts Earth’s quantum laws.
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On the other hand, the POT explains that these spectra are seen like this in the galaxy because certain atoms and molecules absorb and emit light at very specific wavelengths, quantum physics being the great explanation for this.
The European Space Agency clarifies that the main protagonists of this are electrons, who can only exist with very specific energies and, therefore, can only lose or gain very specific amounts of energy.
Finally, both agencies cited explained that according to certain rules of quantum physics, prohibited emission lines should not exist. However, the complexity of quantum physics and some of the rules that are used to predict it were based on laboratory conditions on Earth, which limits more in-depth explanations for obvious reasons.
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In accordance with the standards established in the Land, said “prohibited” emission is not even considered. Which does not mean that in an energetic galactic core it cannot happen. So much so that the “forbidden light” shone for the Hubble Telescope, leaving a simply spectacular capture.